Extensible wagon-bed.



M. F. BDTKlN.

EXTENSIBLE WAGGN BED.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1918.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

FiQl.

INV ENTO R J/Mllard $19 0mm.

'wiwisslis specific gravity,

i mintenn F. :BorKIN, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

'nx'rnnsnstn WAGON-BED.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLARD F. BOTKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of'Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Extensible Wagon-Bed, of which the 'following is a specification y invention relates to extensible wagon beds in which the sides and ends are provided with extensions adapted to increase its capacity for loads of different kinds of materials and farm products and arranged to fold with the sides and ends of the bed.

The object of my invention is to provide a wagon bed with facility for adapting the same for carrying loads of light or heavy such as grain, hay, vegetables, fodder, small or'large animals, and

other farm products equipment and stock,

thereby providing a wagon bed having general utility to obviate the necessity of special beds in farming industry. I attain these objects by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of a wagon body embodying my invention, and showing the extensions folded;

Fig. 2, isa rear elevation of a wagon bed to which my invention is applied, and show ing the extensions operative, the tail gate being removed;

Fig. 3, is a rear elevation of the wagon bed, and showing the tail gate with folded extension, the one corner supporting member being broken away to disclose the channel to receive the ends of the gate;

Fig. 4: is a plan view of the inner side of the corner supporting member and its hinged member; a

Fig. 5, is a view of the leg and its toe for supporting the extensions, and showing the cotter pin piercing the toe to hold the leg inplace; i i

Fig. 6, is an elevation of a fragment of the side of the wagon'bed, and showing the corner member engaged by the supporting leg holding the extension in place, and

Fig. 7, is an end view of the tail gate, and showing the supporting leg holding theextension folded.

Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1, is a wagon bed embodying my invention and which is mounted on a running gear 2, in the usual manner. Vertically extending Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 23, 1918.

. Patented Feb. 11, 1919. Serial No. 236,203.

supporting members 3, are mounted permanently .at the front and side edges of the upper side of a platform 4:. The members 3, are made of cast or pressed metal, pref erably pressed steel, and comprise a fiat portion 5, of suitable dimension and having segmental fianges 6, rising upwardly from their outer sides, the flanges being provided with a series of holes 7, extending along their peripheral edges. Supporting arms 8, are hingedly connected with the upper ends of the members by hinges 9, and are adapted to move inwardly and outwardly of the members. Corner supporting members 10, are permanently mounted at the corners of the rearward end of the platform 4:, and they are formed like members 3, except that they are provided on their reverse sides with channels 11, which are specially adapted to slidably receive the ends of a tail gate 12, hereinafter described. Supporting arms 13, similar to arms 8, are hingedly connected with the upper ends of the members 10, by hinges 14, and they are adapted to move inwardly and outwardly of the members. Plates 15, of suitable width, are permanently secured on the lower end portions of the inner sides of the members 3 and 10, on the sides and front end of the bed, by fasteners which are entered in the openings 16. in members 8 and 10, and penetrate or pierce the plates, such as nails, screws, and bolts. Plates 17, of lesser width are similarly secured on the inner sides of the members 3 and 10, but they are spaced apart from plates 15, and from each other a distance equal to the width of the plates and a little more or less. Plates 18, substantially identical with plates 17, are permanently secured on the inner sides of the hinged arms 8, at spaced apart points adapted for allowing their entry inthe Spaces between the plates 15 and 17, when the arms 8, are rotated inward. The plates 18, on the arms 8, at the front end of the bed, are shortened, so that when they are carried inwardly they will not engage the inner sides of the plates 17, on the sides of the bed. Eyes 19, are mounted on the outer sides of the arms 8 and 13, adjacent the hinges 9 and 14, and legs 20, are movably connected therewith, the legs having toes 21, adapted to enter holes 7, in the members 3 and 10, and also enter the eyes 22, mounted on the inner sides of the plates 15. The outer end portions of the toes are perforated in vertical directlon to receive a cotter pin 23,

" a lower plate gate, as shown in or any other similar device, for the purpose of detaining the toes in the members 3 and 10, and in the eyes '22. A'tail gate 12, is slidably mounted in the channels 11, inthe corner members 10, and is thereby removab-ly secured on thebed. The tail gate consists of 25,1ike plates 15, and' s'pac''d apart plates 26, like plates 17,whichiplates are secured on the inner side of tWo members 3, having hinged arms 8, the ends of the plates being adapted to "enter' the channels 11, in the corner members 10. Plates- 27, similar to:plates 26, are secured-onthie inner sides ofthe arms Spat spaced ap'artipoints adapted to allow their *entry in the spaces between the 1 plates on the members I 3, When the arms are'ro-tated'inward. Theiplates 27,

are'shorter thanipl'ates '26, soth'at Whenthe gateis iniplace their ends willbe closely adjacent the mnersidesdfthe plates on '-the sides of the bed. *Themenrbe'rs 3;on'the'tail gate are" not secured on the "platform l-{as -is the ease with the membersat' the side's and front end of the bed. Members 3, oirthe'tail A gate, are'likewise provided'vvith eyes 19, and legs 20, having'toes 21, and 'eyes 22, on the gate-to receive the toes'to detain the legs, 1 as shown in Fig. 7

The Wagon bed organized as above described provides facility for convertingthe bedto any use Without tools or implements being employed, or the running gear. If the bed is desired' for removing'th'e bed from ordinary use to receive load, such as grain, *vegetableacoal, wood, or the like,the side extensions 28, the front end extension 29, and the tailgate extension30, are folded with the permanent'sides, front endfand tail Figs. 1 and 3. If animals are carried, the exte'nsions lare'rotatedto vertical position, be'seen-in Figscl and 6; inthe former figure the front extensionis vertically extended, the side extensions being shovvnvertical bydotted lines, and imthe latter figure the tailgate extension is shovvn in vertical lposition. In practice, the front extension, prefe1 ab1y,'is positioned 'verti why when extended, and'the same preference ap plies to the tail gate extension, 'it -'being understood that either extension may be detained at an'y angle.

to betransported, the side extensions may be detained in horizontal positionyas 'shb'vvn by dotted line, at 31,in=Fig. 2. 1f=hay,*straw,

fodder, or other'light material *is' tobetran'sported, the side extensions are rotated outwardlyto-horizontaLposition, and there detained, as'is'shownat ii in Fig. 2.

ip-detain the extensions at any desired ..a.ngle, the toes 22, of the legs 20, are entered into the holes 7 in the member-s 3, which are best adapted to provide the desireldangle, "theicotter:pini'being entered in the toes to detain the legs in place. When the extensions are folded "with thenpermanenUsides of thebed, theziegsiareldetained by entering their' toes ihtoith'eeyes ea-aaad se oiirirrgftliem iniplaee"by thevcotteflpins.

Having described my invention -c1aim is-' I i An extensible w'azgotvbed,rconsistingiof a .pl'atform, supportihgintembers monnted"yertieally at: the tsidesaand i frori tjend ff fisaid platform-*andprovided-outwardly withipen foratd flanges extending the"-f6r1n' ofsegmerits," therinher. sides of the-members at the rear corners of the rplatform abeingi-provided with channels, arms*hingedlyconnected ivith the *npp'errendsi'of said-supporting nn embers "andfprovided; ontwardlyivw-ith E movable legs having -toes"adapted toseleetively enter'the perforations infthe'xflainges onithemelribers to detain the arms, esp'aced apart plates mounted on the inner-sides (if said support- 1 ing members, sp aced apart pl'ates; mounted on the inner sides ofisaid" arms aifd adapted 'to ent'erP'and lle'ave" the spaoes "between the plates on *said supporting members, and "a tail gate slidably mountd' in the "channels 'insaid slipportingamenibers at thefreai iv ard corners ofsaidvpl'atformysaidtailigate eomprising a plurality of 'verticallyeextending supporting members fiprovided Foiitwai dly with perforated flanges 1 extending win "the "form of segments arnrs -hinged1y teonnecte'd With the upper ends of said slipporthrgmembers' and 'provided outwardly 'with moi'rable legs'hav'ifn'g toes adapted torselec'tively enter the perforations in'the flanges on the supporting-members to detain'the 'ai-mgspaced apart plates moiihted*on the: inneresides of isaid'snppoiting inemberspaind sp'aded apart iplates =mounted on"thefiinner sidesmf szfld arms and adapted to enter and ie'avefthe spaces between theipl ates on said supporting members. I

KaTnsasGit'y, MissoiiTLeMaylSthiLQlS;

, MILLARD F. BOPKIN. Witnesses:

k 'Dwreml Mx Slim-1'1, -F.-*E. SMAI5L.

Copje'so! this patent may-be obtainedlbr-flvecents each, tyadiresihf: the cmmmmmn'imm Washington, 20.0." 

